MONITORING LAND USE CHANGE: Use of Remote Sensing and GIS

Land Use patterns reflect the nature of economic activity as well as natural resources of a country. The evaluation and assessment of land uses leads to diagnose the patterns of resources of a country which can further be developed in order to gain and maintain self sufficiency in the resources needed for human and economic development. The monitoring of land use change is highly difficult and complicated process due to its nature of spatial and temporal characteristics. Traditionally, ground surveys have been carried out to assess the land use patterns; however, the advancement of remote sensing techniques has lead to the evaluation of land use patterns in a very short time with high accuracies. The GIS techniques are very helpful to monitor the land use patterns as well as the future forecast of land use change precisely which lead to the sustainable development of resources of a country. This paper presents the use of Remote Sensing and GIS in monitoring land use change. Introduction Land use of an area on the globe reflects the patterns of natural and human environment. In term of physical environment, it varies from natural topography to Land cover classification as well as water and other natural resources of an area. On the other hand, it also focus and narrate the human activities which had been carried out in the past such as urban structure and major routes, to most recent human activities such as agricultural Land use, road transport network, urban development and industrialization etc. in an area. Amongst various land uses agricultural land use has been the most commonly studied activity by the scholars. Stating from the early 19 century when von Thunen focused on the relationship of agricultural land use and transport cost to present studies by Harvey, 1966; Mattingley,1972; Symon, 1978 and Visser, 1980. Focus has been changing with the passage of time from transport cost to other factors such as socio-economic and behavioural factors (Ilbery, 1978) with respect to agricultural land use change. Scholars like Blaiki,1971 and Binswanger, 1987 have been trying to explore the factors affecting agricultural land use change. Several other scholars (e.g., Datoo, 1978; Grigg, 1979) have also been writing to explain the intricate process of land-use change. Population growth has been considered one important factor of land use change. Ruthenberg, (1976), provided a valuable framework to understand factors influencing land-use change in this regard. Critics like Downs,1991; Geertz 1963 and Robinson, 1991, 1993 have been focused the role of policy and technology in an appropriate land use system for a country. A number of researchers (Allan, 1986; Chisholm, 1979; Harvey, 1963; Muth, 1961) have also emphasized on equally important role of infrastructure, including transportation facilities in land-use change. The interaction of physical & human factors are so complex that study of Land use change in an area becomes highly technical and time consuming. A number of efforts (Coppock, 1978; Mather, 1986 and Rhind & Hudson, 1980) have been made to record the land use patterns. However, the nature of efforts have been changing with the advancement of technology. Historical land use surveys (Stamp, 1940s) had been involved the immense skilled and unskilled labour force which was ease out with the development of aerial Photography in 1960s. Aerial photography had been an important